There’s a reason you can’t resist grabbing that chocolate bar in the grocery store checkout line: You’re more likely to make impulse purchases toward the end of your shopping trip, according to a new study published in the Journal of Marketing.
The researchers split each study participant’s shopping trip into quarters. They found that the shoppers were 10% more likely to buy an item they didn’t need during the last quarter of their trip than in the first quarter. And the longer you shop, the greater the likelihood is that you’ll throw an unplanned item in your cart.
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The theory at work here is called the licensing effect, says study author Timothy Gilbride, Associate Professor of Marketing at University of Notre Dame.
The idea is that doing something that feels responsible—like crossing off the necessary items on your shopping list—can make you feel empowered to do something for yourself, like grabbing a treat.
With all the temptation at the grocery store, it takes an incredible mental effort to curb this effect, according to Gilbride. And the stores know this—hence the strategically placed candy that appears in the checkout line.
Be a man with a plan the next time you shop. Maintain an active tally of the total cost of your cart. As that total number creeps up, you won’t be as willing to grab that last-minute buy. “Keeping track of how much you’ve spent will likely boost your willpower and help you control your overall spending,” Gilbride says.
Also, keep your shopping trip short, says Gilbride. One way to do this: Make a list before you go in and add an aisle number next to each food item. That way, you can head straight for the items, saving time and avoiding tempting additional purchases. Many apps like Grocery iQ make this easy by tracking the food you’ve recently brought.
Now that you’re armed and ready, make sure your list is full of muscle-building foods with What and When You Should Eat to Build Muscle.
